The Vintage Bazaar Returns!

By Kim Bellware in Arts & Entertainment on May 13, 2011 4:00PM

Thrifters, DIY-ers and upcyclers rejoice: the Vintage Bazaar is setting up shop again, this time for a one-day stint in Pilsen. The pop-up flea market, curated and run by Chicago design mavens, Katherine Raz and Libby Alexander, is little more than a year old, but has grown quickly in popularity: last year's summer bazaar at the Congress Theater in Logan Square saw more than 8,000 shoppers browsing vintage furniture, clothing and pretty much any and all neat-looking odds and ends.

Unofficially, we'd deem the Vintage Bazaar to be the most all-encompassing of the Chicago DIY, design and craft fairs. With regard to the types of vendors, the items for sale and even the crowd it draws, the variety can't be overstated (it's worth noting that especially in the clothing and accessories department, there's also more here for men than the typical hand-made DIY/design event). At last year's bazaar we spotted everything from full dining room sets to vintage postcards, mint-condition honky-tonk records, used books, reams of upholstery fabric and oddities like '40s-era stage microphones.

Though this bazaar will feature slightly fewer vendors this time (50 versus last summer's 63 at the Congress), the spirit of the event remains the same: interesting sellers, unique goods, pretty reasonably priced items (more so than, say, the vintage boutiques in Andersonville) and a healthy respect for bartering. You can check out the vendor list and read profiles of the sellers with interesting stories, like bazaar veteran Coyote DeGroot of Labrabbit Optics, who ditched his corporate optician gig to open up a shop selling one-of-a-kind frames and lens.

If you're being dragged along by a friend/roommate/significant other/kidnapper but you're not into browsing, Bleeding Heart Bakery, Goose Island and the CHIRP will all be on hand to help you pass the time with cookies, beer and music. Most vendors, both of the food and vintage goods variety, are cash only, though a few take credit cards (ATMs are also on site).

Apart from bringing reusable tote bags and sharp elbows, our only advice is to arrive early. That way, you can avoid the heartbreak of watching a dude walk down the street with the antique side table he scored for $20 that would have, you know, been perfect for that one spot in your living room.

The Vintage Bazaar is Saturday May 14, 2229 S Halsted, 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., $2 suggested donation